


Angel With a Shotgun-Destiel

by lightningbugqueen



Series: Song-Based fics [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: 15:18 Coda, Angst, Cuddles, Destiel - Freeform, Fluff, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Misunderstandings, angel with a shotgun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27499021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningbugqueen/pseuds/lightningbugqueen
Summary: What happens after the Empty takes Castiel, set to the tune of Angel With a Shotgun by the Cab.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Song-Based fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950250
Comments: 8
Kudos: 80





	Angel With a Shotgun-Destiel

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! I hope you enjoy!!

Castiel was born on the second day. If you were to put it onto the current calendar, it was Thursday, March 5th. His first job was watching what would later evolve into a centipede. His second, making sure Pluto formed correctly. He continued to have menial jobs like these for billions of years, and he was content. The angel of Thursday went on with his boring yet somehow pleasant life, and followed orders. He did as he was told, went where he was supposed to, and listened to God’s commands. 

_ Get out your guns, battles begun _

_ Are you a saint, or a sinner? _

One day, God left. Many angels rebelled, and there was a small war. Castiel remained true. He knew that God always had a plan, and it would do them well to listen to his orders. He loved his brothers and sisters, but he hated to see them fighting, so he stayed out of it. He let them wage their war, and when it was over, he helped them rebuild their home. He was a good angel, and he followed orders. 

_ If loves a fight, than I shall die _

_ With my heart on a trigger _

A very long time after the beginning, humanity formed. They grew up, made weapons and tools and eventually civilization. Castiel was fascinated by them. Their actions, their feelings, seemed so similar to his family’s. Cain and Abel reminded him so much of Lucifer and Michael. A war the humans called “the end of the world” reminded him of the many minor skirmishes he had witnessed between his siblings. 

Castiel found it astounding how these weak, frail humans survived. How did they live happily when they had no wings, no powers, no cause? He found hope in them as well. If these humans, these tiny, insignificant humans could survive and live happy lives, then so could he. 

_ They say before you start a war _

_ You better know what you're fighting for _

Later on in the human race’s life, much closer to our current time, there lived a man. He was a broken, sad, fierce man who just wanted things to be over. All his life he had remembered days of happiness, with tomato rice soup and soft lullabies, but could never actually reach them. He lived a life all for his young brother, in hopes of making him happy. This man did not think he could ever find happiness, or love. He had tried, with a young woman named Cassie, and another named Lisa. Oh, how he had tried to find a place in this world, no matter what that could be. But it seemed to him that the only place for him was a life of motels, hunting, and long nights on the road. He was not content in this life, he had always wanted more, but as long as his brother was with him it was good enough. 

One day, his brother left him. Dean understood, of course. Who wouldn’t want to leave? Sam could get away from his broken home, his broken life, his broken brother. Their father already had. 

Dean went on alone. He drank too much, and put himself in frankly suicidal situations, but he survived. 

He wished he hadn’t. 

_ Well baby, you are all that I adore _

_ If love is what you need, a soldier I will be _

Years later, after the brothers had reunited and suffered more tragic loss together, Dean lost his baby brother again. This time he would never see him again. At college, Dean could have visited. He could have showed up every once in a while, given his brother a hug and congratulated him on the girl. Instead, he had to drag him back into this life. He had made Sammy go through unimaginable loss, and then lost him too. And Dean couldn’t visit where his brother was now. 

So Dean made a deal. A stupid, loving, horrible, selfless deal. 

He got Sammy back. But only for a year. 

_ I'm an angel with a shotgun _

_ Fighting til' the wars won _

One year later, Castiel got his first important job. He was told that instead of making sure Trump Tower collapsed, he was to pull a man out of Hell. Not just any man. Dean Winchester. The man that would bring about the apocalypse, the man who would be the archangel Michael’s vessel. 

Castiel traveled to Hell. He fought and killed countless demons, and searched the dark expanses for the man he was to find. 

It was impossible to tell soul from soul. Every one was dark, corrupted, mutilated. They burned black, so unlike those that were in heaven. 

Then he found Dean. 

Dean Winchester’s soul was magnificent. It glowed with all the beauty of a thousand suns, brighter even than the ones in heaven. It was the soul of a good, kind, selfless man. It was not the soul of a man who would end the world. 

_ I don't care if heaven won't take me back _

_ I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe _

Castiel and Dean became fast friends. Sure, they may have met with a bit of stabbing and knocking out of family members, but once they talked they really liked each other. Castiel was being much more animated and social with Dean than he had ever been with any of the other angels. 

At least, that’s what Castiel thought. 

Dean’s thoughts were more along the lines of, “Why the hell does this angel keep showing up and talking like a robot? And who the hell said something about an apocalypse?” 

They did, however, become close later on. Once Castiel found out about heaven’s manipulations and real plans, he rebelled. He threw away the devotion he had for God, his father, all for the brothers. Because he knew that Dean and Sam wouldn’t lie to him like heaven did, wouldn’t hurt him in that way. 

And yes, maybe he cared a little more about Dean than he let on. 

_ Don't you know you're everything I have? _

_ And I, wanna live, not just survive, tonight _

All of Castiel’s life he had followed Heaven’s orders. He had done as he was told, had listened and not talked back, and been a good little soldier. 

Dean Winchester changed that. 

Because of Dean, Castiel learned to  _ live.  _ All his life, following slow and boring tasks, Castiel had simply survived. He went through the day, thinking that this job, this “heavenly rule” was what life was really like. Dean showed him the truth.

Life was fighting werewolves and beheading vampires. Life was running out of the backs of dens of iniquity and learning things from the pizza man. Life was love, and pain, and sorrow, and joy. Life was keeping going, even on the bad days, especially on the good ones. All of his time in heaven and on earth, Castiel had never truly experienced it.

Dean Wincehster showed him how. 

_ Sometimes to win, you've got to sin _

_ Don't mean I'm not a believer _

Castiel did believe in God. He knew he was real, knew he was still out there. Later on, he would get confirmation. But for now, Castiel simply had faith. 

It was hard for many to understand. How could the angel that betrayed his brethren, disobeyed orders, and fell for one human believe in the father? Even his brothers and sisters had given up hope, going to follow Raphael and others leaders instead. 

Dean didn’t understand either. He knew that God was gone, or at least didn’t care. But Cas kept faith. Yes, he doubted, and called out hatred in the hardest of times. He asked his father why he had put him through this, why he had hurt Dean. God never answered. Yet still Castiel believed. 

_ And major Tom, will sing along _

_ Yeah, they still say I'm a dreamer _

Many called him crazy for his faith. But Castiel believed in God because of the world around him. 

He believed in God because of how kind Dean was to any child he met. 

He believed in God because of Sam’s bravery when going into battle. 

He believed in God because of Jody Mills and her compassion for the girls she took in. 

He believed in God because for some inexplicable reason, he had found a family. 

_ They say before you start a war _

_ You better know what you're fighting for _

When Castiel was in heaven, he wasn’t close with any other angels. He looked up to Gabriel, and Hannah was kind, but he had no friends in his brothers and sisters. It was supposed to be a family. For many, it was. Not for Castiel. 

Dean and Sam were different. They didn’t judge his interest in Earth. They didn’t berate him for having emotions, or tell him he wasn’t worth it. They were kind, and compassionate, and seemed to like having Castiel around. It made no sense, but Cas tried not to question it. 

Sam was family, and his friend, but Dean was more. Castiel had no words for it. Dean was just  _ Dean _ . 

He was brave, and caring, and protective, and passionate. He saw that Cas didn’t understand most things, so he made references to things that the angel did. He noticed when Sam was having an especially bad day and did his best to make it better. He called himself ruthless, and cruel. He was everything but. 

_ Well baby, you are all that I adore _

_ If love is what you need, a soldier I will be _

Castiel didn’t understand his feelings for Dean for a very long time. He knew that he felt  _ something _ , but he couldn’t understand what. That changed the day Dean went to kill the Darkness. 

Castiel hugged him before he went, and as Dean turned to go he finally understood. 

It felt the way Sam had once described heartbreak to him. It felt the way sucking in all of those Leviathans had. It felt like Dean was carrying Castiel’s heart right alongside that bomb, about to kill them both. 

Castiel loved Dean. And he would never get to tell him so. 

_ I'm an angel with a shotgun _

_ Fighting til' the wars won _

Castiel still had hope, of course. The Winchesters died and came back to life often enough. So, when he returned to the Bunker with Sam he thought up a plan. When-and it would be when-Dean came back, Castiel would tell him. Cas did not think of what would happen afterward. He simply knew that if he did not tell Dean it would weigh on him for far too long. 

Dean returned with his mother in tow. 

Castiel did not want to confess in front of her.

That was an excuse.

Cas did not tell Dean. 

_ I don't care if heaven won't take me back _

_ I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe _

Cas did not tell Dean for a very long time. 

He did not tell Dean when he came back to life after being killed again. 

He did not tell Dean when they almost lost Jack. 

He did not tell Dean when they did lose Jack. 

He did not tell Dean when he made the deal, or when he learned of Jack’s deal. 

He did not tell Dean when God escaped the Bunker and shared some hard truths with them. 

He did not tell Dean until the very,  _ very _ last moment. 

_ Don't you know you're everything I have? _

_ And I, wanna live, not just survive, tonight _

When Cas did tell Dean, it went about how anyone would expect. Castiel poured his heart out, not expecting anything in return. Dean froze. Cas died. 

Afterward, suffice it to say, Dean was furious at himself. 

Of course he loved Castiel back! Who wouldn’t? Now Cas had died thinking his feelings were one sided, and he was never going to know the truth. 

Actually, bullshit. Cas would know the truth if it was the last thing Dean did. It most likely would be. 

_ Oh, oh whoa whoa oh whoa _

_ I'm an angel with a shotgun _

Castiel awoke back in the Empty. The setting was not surprising. The fact that he was actually awake, however, definitely was. 

He turned in a slow circle, waiting for the entity to appear like it had several times before. Nothing happened. 

Castiel called out, waiting for a reply. None came. 

He stood there, waiting for whatever had awoken him for an untold amount of time. 

Finally, the black goo appeared again and spit out a figure. The last figure Castiel wanted to see. 

“You son of a bitch!” He yelled, taking a page out of Dean’s book, “Don’t you dare take his face! Take mine, take Meg’s, but don’t you dare make me see him again!” Dean’s face looked up in confusion. 

“Cas?” Dean-no, not Dean- asked, “What are you talking about?” Castiel shook with rage. 

“Stop! You can’t fool me! He’s out there,  _ living _ . Why did you even wake me up? Just to taunt me with his face? Maybe make me watch him die again, or make him hurt me?” The Empty looked confused. 

“Cas” it said, the voice scarily similar to Dean’s, “I’m not the Empty. It’s me.” Castiel still didn’t believe it. 

“No, it’s not. There’s no way in here. Even Jack could only call out to me. You really need to work on your tricks.” 

“No, no, no,” Dean’s voice said, holding up his hands, “It’s really me. Want me to prove it?” He began to speak terrifying truths, “You learned how to kiss from the pizza man. You miss being able to taste PB and J’s. You hate Doctor Sexy MD for some reason you have yet to explain to me, but you still watch it because I like it. One night I saw you looking at the stars. I asked you what you were doing and you told me that your job used to be to watch Pluto, and you were just seeing how it was doing. See, Cas? It’s me.” 

Castiel stared in shock. Tears, oh so similar to those that streamed down his face what felt like only minutes ago, began to fill his eyes. Dean was here. Here for  _ him! _ And it didn’t look like he hated him. 

“And uh, one more thing?” Dean said quietly, “That thing you said you could never have? It might be closer than you think.” 

_ Fighting til' the wars won _

_ I don't care if heaven won't take me back _

“What?” Cas asked, very confused. Like many other instances, he did not understand. 

“Well, with that whole speech, you know? You said you loved me. You seemed to think I don’t love you back. You’re wrong.” Wrong.  _ Wrong. _

“You mean….” Castiel was moving too slowly, too confused. 

“Dammit Cas!” Dean exclaimed, then rushed forward. He cupped his hand around the back of the angel’s head, and tipped it up just enough. He pressed his lips oh so softly to Castiel’s, then wound his other arm around Cas’s waist. 

_ I'm an angel with a shotgun _

_ Fighting til' the wars won _

It was… well, it was heaven. 

As stupid as that sounded, especially considering their current surrounding, it was the most perfect moment of the angel’s life. 

They remained this way, clinging to each other despite their kiss remaining soft, until Dean broke away. Still, they stayed wrapped around each other, green eyes gazing into blue. 

“How long was it?” Cas finally asked. 

“Too long.” 

_ I don't care if heaven won't take me back _

_ I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe _

Dean explained how he got in. If he was being honest, Castiel did not pay a bit of attention, too enraptured by the feel of Dean’s arm around his waist. He would get Sam to explain the specifics later. 

Dean cast some kind of spell, and they were sucked back into the goo. They popped out in the Bunker kitchen, where Sam and Jack were waiting for them. 

Castiel was immediately wrapped in a giant group hug with his family. Jack’s arms joined Dean’s around his middle, and Sam pulled them all into his giant grasp. It was the most comfortable Castiel had been in a very long time. 

“You’re back!” Sam exclaimed softly. Cas just nodded. 

“We missed you.” Jack whispered into his chest. 

“Not as much as I missed you.” Cas muttered. 

When they pulled away, Cas was able to get a good look at everyone. 

In the light he could see how tired they all were. Sam’s hair was messy and his shirt was askew, Jack was still in his pajamas, and they all looked like they hadn’t slept in days. Cas took in the bags underneath Dean’s eyes and grew worried. 

“Dean,” he asked, “When was the last time you slept?” 

“Doesn’t matter.” Dean mumbled into his hair, where he’s settled his chin. It was as though all the need for personal space and keeping up appearances had evaporated the moment the Empty took Cas. 

_ Don't you know you're everything I have? _

_ (I'm an angel with a shotgun) _

Castiel knew that Dean would never sleep until he was sure Castiel was fine, so the angel took a more strategic approach. 

“Well, I’m exhausted. I’m going to sleep.” He began to pull away and, as expected, Dean held tight. 

“I’ll go with you.” The hunter said and shot a glare at his brother when a suspicious snicker met his ear. 

Castiel led Dean out of the kitchen, and down the hallway. It would probably have been better to stay with Sam and Jack and catch up on what was going on, but Cas really was tired. He also desperately wanted to keep Dean close by. 

_ And I, want to live, not just survive, tonight _

_ And I'm gonna hide, hide, hide my wings tonight _

When Cas turned towards his door, Dean tugged his waist across the hall. 

“My room,” he murmured, and opened his own door. 

They both changed into Dean’s pajamas, Dean in his Scooby Doo pants and Zeppelin shirt, Cas in Dean’s polar bear pajama pants and ACDC shirt. 

In the bed Dean wrapped himself around the angel, clinging to him. Cas clinged back. They held onto each other, finding safety in the other’s arms. It was similar to their first kiss, but oh, so different. 

Where the kiss had been confessions, this was reasurrences. The kiss was confirmations of life, of love, this was established and sure. 

They stayed there, holding each other, completely silent. 

_ They say before you start a war _

_ You better know what you're fighting for _

Finally, what could have been hours or minutes later, Dean whispered to Cas. 

“I love you.”

_ Well baby, you are all that I adore _

“I know.” 

_ If love is what you need, a soldier I will be _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed, leave a comment/kudos!  
> ps: The reason Cas hates Dr. Sexy is because he's jealous of Dean's crush on him


End file.
